Mac OS X 10.4.2 to enhance Dashboard functionality

The next maintenance release to Apple\'s Mac OS X 10.4 \"Tiger\" operating system will include several enhancements that will make Dashboard widget management simpler and safer, AppleInsider has learned.

Widget Deletion

According to recent rumors, the forthcoming Mac OS X 10.4.2 Update will let users delete widgets from the Dashboard dock by hovering over the widget\'s name and selecting a small deletion icon.

Upon selecting the icon —a red circular image with a dash through it —a confirmation dialog will appear, asking the user to confirm that they want to move that widget to the trash.

A New Widget Installer

The updated version of Dashboard will also do its part to end ongoing security concerns associated with widgets. Rumor has it that in Mac OS X 10.4.2, widgets downloaded from the internet will not be installed automatically on the user\'s system.

Instead, when a user downloads and double-clicks on a widget in Mac OS X 10.4.2, a new Widget Installer will launch. Users will reportedly be able to \"Test Drive\" the widget in a self-contained area of the installer before agreeing to install it on their system.

Over Six-Dozen Fixes

The improvements to Dashboard are rumored to be just some of the over six-dozen bug fixes and/or enhancements planned for inclusion in Mac OS X 10.4.2.

According to reports already present on several internet websites, Apple has recently seeded its developers with Mac OS X 10.4.2 build 8C27. This most recent build is expected to be one of the final pre-releases of the Tiger update before it is prepped for an official release.

Improved iChat and AddressBook

Some of the other enhancements rumored for inclusion in Mac OS X 10.4.2 are improved AddressBook performance and multiple machine iChat logins from the same account.

The Tiger update, the second in recent weeks, is believed to be due imminently.